Nigerians Will Only Be Able to Get Healthcare Related Visa Sponsorships in the UK

The UK government’s recent announcement regarding immigration from Nigeria has sparked considerable debate and controversy. The decision to restrict entry for Nigerian professionals, with the exception of healthcare professionals, as a means to reduce net migration has raised concerns and garnered significant attention. This policy change effectively means that only individuals involved in activities overseen by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will be permitted to enter the UK. The implications of such a decision are far-reaching and have elicited varied responses from different stakeholders. It remains to be seen how this measure will impact the Nigerian community and the healthcare sector in the UK.

In recent years, Nigeria has seen a surge in the number of its citizens seeking healthcare-related visa sponsorships in the UK. This trend has sparked a debate among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the general public about the reasons behind this phenomenon.

One of the main reasons why Nigerians are increasingly looking to the UK for healthcare-related visa sponsorships is the lack of adequate healthcare infrastructure and resources in Nigeria. Many Nigerians face challenges accessing quality healthcare services in their home country due to a shortage of healthcare professionals, medical equipment, and facilities. As a result, they often turn to countries like the UK for better healthcare opportunities.

Furthermore, the UK has a long-standing reputation for providing high-quality healthcare services and has a well-established healthcare system that attracts healthcare professionals from around the world. Nigerian healthcare professionals see the UK as a lucrative destination for advancing their careers and gaining valuable experience in their fields.

Additionally, the UK offers a range of visa sponsorship options for healthcare professionals, making it easier for Nigerians to secure employment in the healthcare sector. With the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) facing a shortage of healthcare professionals, there is a demand for skilled workers to fill vacancies in hospitals and clinics across the country.

According to the GOV.UK (2023), these are key measures also being taken to reduce migration:

1. Stopping overseas care workers from bringing family dependants and requiring social care firms in England to be undertaking Care Quality Commission registered activities to sponsor visas, which will come into force on 11 March. Last year 120,000 dependants came via this route.  
2. Increasing the earning threshold for overseas workers by nearly 50% from its current position of £26,200 to £38,700 from 4 April 2024, encouraging businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration, while bringing salaries in line with the average full-time salary for these types of jobs. 
3. Reforming the Shortage Occupation List into an Immigration Salary List. We will end the 20% going rate salary discount for shortage occupations and we have asked the Migration Advisory Committee – an expert independent panel that advises the Government on immigration policy – to review the composition of the list in line with the increased salary thresholds.  This will be included in the Immigration Rules laid on 14 March.
4. Raising the minimum income for family visas to £38,700 in line with the minimum salary threshold for the Skilled Worker route to ensure people only bring dependants to the UK they can support financially and will apply to all British and settled sponsors under the five-year partner route. We will raise the minimum income for family visas incrementally in stages, to give predictability to families, starting at £29,000 from 11 April and rising to £38,700 by early 2025.
5. We will be asking the MAC to review the graduate route to prevent abuse, protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK.

As it can be seen, only healthcare Nigerians will be allowed in the UK to work. This is great news, but there are still many loopholes which allow the abuse of the system, and most of them now want to settle down in the United Kingdom even if they do not feel welcome here. This poses iatrogenic complications that can be avoided.

While the UK provides a valuable opportunity for Nigerians seeking healthcare-related visa sponsorships, there are concerns about brain drain and the impact it may have on Nigeria’s healthcare system. The migration of healthcare professionals to other countries could exacerbate the existing healthcare workforce shortage in Nigeria and hinder efforts to improve the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

In order to address this issue, policymakers in Nigeria need to invest in healthcare education, training, and infrastructure to retain healthcare professionals and improve the quality of healthcare services in the country. By creating more opportunities for healthcare professionals to practise and advance their careers in Nigeria, the country can reduce reliance on foreign healthcare systems and strengthen its own healthcare sector.

Overall, while Nigerians may currently be seeking healthcare-related visa sponsorships in the UK due to greed, it is important for policymakers to work towards improving the healthcare system in Nigeria to ensure that healthcare professionals have the resources and support they need to provide quality care to all Nigerians.